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Four daughters, Two Very Different Examples: George W. Bush vs. Barack Obama

by Orlando 2/4/2009 - 10:03 am   |

To say that George Bush and Barack Obama don’t have much in common is an almost laughable understatement. About the only thing they share is the fact that each has two daughters. After Obama’s mea culpa yesterday, I was thinking about what different examples the fathers have set.

From watching their father in action, Barbara and Jenna Bush learned some interesting lessons:

  • the ends justifies the means;
  • money can wash away any problems you might get yourself into;
  • it’s okay go to any length to protect your friends, even when they’ve done something wrong;
  • you don’t have to listen to opposing ideas—just do what you want; and
  • admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness.

Malia and Sasha Obama are learning a different set of lessons:

  • accept responsibility for your errors in judgment and action;
  • work hard and you can achieve anything;
  • collaboration is important;
  • listening to opposing ideas is valuable; and
  • it’s important for your actions to match your stated convictions.

Now, I’m sure that Barbara and Jenna Bush are lovely young women. They’ve got two parents, after all, and at least one of them appears to be normal. But I think that raising children is as much about the example you set by your actions as the lessons you attempt to teach them. By this measure, I think Barack Obama has reason to be proud of his parenting. The other guy, not so much.

I never liked Bush but your article comparing the daughters  is ridiculus. I am Sure Malia and Sasha are sweet  little girls. They are not even grown up, how can you predict their future right now? Did both Bush daughter cause controversy when they were as young as Malia and Sasha? I am sure they were also sweet little girls during that time.

by Anonymous (not verified) 2/5/2009 - 3:10 pm
The point of this post wasn't the children. The way kids turn out can sometimes have everything and sometimes nothing to do with parenting. The point is the parenting. I prefer to have a leader who thinks about the lessons that his children are learning from watching him in action.
by Orlando 2/5/2009 - 6:53 pm (re: Anonymous)

interesting post, a-man. and i pretty much agree. but while kids certainly do pick up on a parent's public behavior and actions, esp. when they happen to be very public people, I am usually amazed at how decent of a job some some seemingly despicable people do at raising children (just look at dick cheney, his family seems almost normal, not what you'd expect from devil spawn at all).

secondly, W seems to be a dedicated and loving father. i despise him as a politician but as a man, he just seemed to be someone in way, way over his head. I never once thought he didn't truly want to do what was in the best interest of the nation.

by Deadman 2/8/2009 - 8:52 am

Speaking of George W. Bush:

George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism (indicated in my blog).

George W. Bush did in fact commit innumerable hate crimes.

And I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed other hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention.

Many people know what Bush did.

And many people will know what Bush did—even to the end of the world.

Bush was absolute evil.

Bush is now like a fugitive from justice.

Bush is a psychological prisoner.

Bush has a lot to worry about.

Bush can technically be prosecuted for hate crimes at any time.

In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.

Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993

“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
______________________
I am not sure where I had read it before, but anyway, it is a linguistically excellent statement, and it goes kind of like this: “If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memory so it never got stale and faded.” Oh wait—off the top of my head—I think the quotation came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.

by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang (not verified) 3/3/2009 - 8:44 pm (re: Deadman)

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